Anchovy capture landings. (Photo: Giroa)

Anchovy auctions in Galicia have been highest since 1997

SPAIN
Thursday, May 24, 2018, 02:00 (GMT + 9)

The Galician purse-seine fleet operating in the Bay of Biscay, made up of fifty boats, says it is satisfied with the results of the anchovy fishing grounds, which it rates as good.

The sector highlights that the auctions in the centres of first sale of Galicia have been the best registered since 1997: until last Friday, they marketed 1,560 tonnes of anchovy for more than EUR 2.5 million, compared to 584.6 tonnes per EUR 1 million in the same period last year, reported La Opinión.

The auction of A Coruña was the one that registered the highest sales of the historical series since 2001. So far this year, it has auctioned 909.5 tonnes, 14 times more than until May 18 of last year (65 tonnes), for EUR 1.36 million, compared to EUR 159,365 in 2017, according to the provisional data of the Technological Platform of Fisheries, dependent on the Undersecretariat of Marine Affairs.

Spanish vessels are authorized to fish up to 29,700 tonnes of anchovy this year, a volume of which 10 per cent is reserved for the second semester (July to November).

After almost two and a half months of the season, since the opening of the fishery at the beginning of March, the Cantabrian purse seine fleet of about 140 vessels has captured the order of 16,000 tonnes of anchovy, which represents about 60 per cent of the total allowed for the first semester.

The Basque fishermen still have some of their quota left, so they can continue operating for a few more weeks until they complete it.
To try to extend the season and not end early, the fishermen have taken a series of measures that affect the daily limit of catches established for each boat.

Thus, large boats will see their daily fishing possibilities reduced by 2,000 kilos (from 10,000 kg in force since the beginning of the season to the 8,000 kilos now established by the associations). Also, the smaller tonnage vessels will be able to capture a maximum of 6,000 kilos per day, instead of 8,000 kilos, and the work will only be possible from Monday to Thursday. These measures were agreed by the majority in the Cantabrian fleet at the proposal of the associations of Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa and Cantabria and may be modified depending on the development of the fishery.

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